The designers and color and materials specialists working on the Dodge Daytona Charger had a particularly tricky assignment.
On the one hand, they had to create an interior for not only the brand’s first-ever battery-electric vehicle, but Stellantis North America’s first BEV foray, too. At the same time, they had to develop an interior that would appeal to the Charger faithful. This meant executing a cabin that is both fashion-forward and yet one that acknowledges the marque’s heritage (the ’68 Charger, in particular).
And they pulled it off.
Climbing into the cabin of the Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award-winning Scat Pack model, sitting in the Demonic Red high-backed seat – a combination of geometrically patterned suede and Nappa leather – with a fixed headrest and adjustable thigh bolsters, is feast for the eyes but also reveals this is a serious seat, one that combines comfort and support – because with specs like those of this car, drivers will need it. (View slideshow: 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX Winner Dodge Charger Daytona)
Some steering wheels now have flat bottoms for purposes of spirited maneuverability. The Charger Daytona’s steering wheel is flattened at both the top and bottom; when you are in a car that goes from 0-to-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds, odds are you’re going to be driving in a manner beyond spirit to full-blown passion. This is especially the case if you depress the PowerShot button on the steering wheel that provides 40 incremental horsepower for 10 seconds – because 670 hp may not be enough.
Behind the steering wheel is one of the Charger Daytona’s two displays, a 16-in. (40.6-cm) screen providing data on the settings and performance of the vehicle – parameters ranging from tire pressure to speed to available power, plus much more.
Adjacent to it, and angled in the direction of the driver, is a 12.3-in. (31.2-cm) infotainment touchscreen running Uconnect 5 that is well laid out and easy to navigate. Other tech features in our test vehicle are an onboard voice assistant and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The audible experience of the all-electric Dodge is as impressive as its visuals. Pressing the “On” button in the center console, just below the classic pistol-grip shifter, telegraphs, not subtly, that you are in a muscle car, because once you hit it, there’s a booming sound through the 18-speaker Alpine Pro audio system featuring a 10-in. subwoofer, a sound resembling Thor putting his hammer down.
In addition to which, when you activate “On” the ambient lighting changes to underline the power unleased: it features what Dodge calls “Attitude Adjustment” interior lighting with 64 selectable colors.
Notably, this isn’t a lighting effect that simply plays across the instrument panel. Rather, it is executed so door trim inserts that have a vertically striped motif are also illuminated so there is a 270-degree sweep of lighting across the front and the sides.
In keeping with Dodge’s Brotherhood of Muscle theme, the interior colors are red and black. Because there is an abundance of material wrapping (instrument panel, seats, shift boot, etc.), there is plenty of stitching with red and white thread.
The Charger Daytona may be a coupe, but it comfortably seats five, with 103 cu.-ft. (2,917 L) of passenger volume. Getting into and out of the back seat isn’t an exercise in acrobatics, with relatively easy ingress and egress.
The cargo volume of the hatchback-styled 2-door with the rear seatback up is respectable and with the seat down is huge. And yes, there is a frunk.
Sums up Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX judge Bob Gritzinger of the Charger Daytona’s win: “The whole car says ‘muscle’ and backs it up at every turn. The solid, pistol-grip shifter, the driver-centric cockpit, the wraparound lighting and styling of the door panels and dashboard, the carbon-fiber trim bits. It’s all there, along with cool and functional haptic feedback from the controls.”
